Falling into Nothing
by GossInABox
Summary: [yaoi][RikuxSora][AU]  It was a vision that brought the two boys together.  One has no memory, the other has a foretold future.  It is together that they journey through a land being taken by a fabled darkness, searching for the light.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Falling into Nothing  
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts  
Rating: PG-13  
Warnings: Shounen-ai, no spoilers, and rewritten game concepts

Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over anything that is Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or Final Fantasy. I'm just borrowing them to twist them all around a bit.

Welcome to the first chapter of Falling into Nothing. This is an AU Kingdom Hearts yaoi fanfic featuring Riku and Sora as the main characters, though many other Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and Disney characters will also be playing various roles. :)

My goal with this fanfic was to take the various story elements presented in the games, and twist them together in to a new story. So be prepared to meet with many familiar concepts. I hope this is interesting for you, and I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 1

_Her body felt unnaturally light as she was pulled through the air, past memory, past time, beyond the very borders that controlled the laws of their world. She was beyond what was known and trespassing on to the unknown, the unsure, the myths, the legends, and the very future that would someday befall them. _

_Pale blue eyes widened in the darkness, fear gripping her still beating heart as the shadows only seemed to thicken. The darkness was all encompassing. Nothing had escaped. Darkness had broken free. Darkness had consumed. Darkness had become all there was, and all there ever would be. _

_She reached out a pale hand, but nothing could be seen before her. It was as if she had vanished in to the very existence that had replaced the world. _

_It terrified her. She panicked, stretching her arms out, struggling with limbs she could not see for a hope that was crushed under the weight of absolute nothingness. The young girl wanted nothing more then death, but even that was denied her, for this was the darkest of all existences. Death was given to no one, all they could look forward to was an eternity of fading in to nothingness, before they became like the very shadows themselves. _

_She opened her mouth to scream, but the darkness had erased all sound as well. _

_Hope, however, was not lost. A light appeared within the darkness, distant and struggling at first. The trapped girl reached for the light with her vanished hand, reaching for the small bit of hope that had appeared before her. The light spread, and the darkness receded, leaving devastation in its wake. The land was dead around her, but it was __**there. **__It __**existed**__, and she could ask for nothing more. _

_She looked up slowly, almost afraid to look upon the one who held the power to drive away such terrifying darkness. _

"_You're the one who will save us, aren't you?" _

_The figure simply nodded, a smile in his brilliant blue eyes. _

"_You're the fabled key…" _

_Another nod and the smile did not fade. It was a smile filled with hope, and Naminè could not help but trust in that smile. _

"_We will find you, and you will save us. You must save us, or else we will become nothing at all…"_

_Nothing at all… Those words echoed within her mind even as she felt herself swept out of the vision, pulled back in to the waking, light-filled world. _

She awoke slowly, blinking up in to a pair of serious blue eyes, wondering what she was doing on the floor, half cradled in this man's arms. "Naminè, are you alright? You just suddenly collapsed. What…" the deep voice faltered here, knowing of the young woman's power. "What did you see…? Was it the darkness again?"

"Yes, yes, it was." She spoke softly, removing herself from Leon's arms. She smiled her thanks, realizing that he had caught her as she fell. As cold as he was at times, the man still cared for those around him.

The young seer stood up beside Leon, taking in his defeated expression. The darkness that terrified them so had already begun spreading across the land, and with no answer before them. Now, however, a hope had finally been shown to them.

"Leon, it was the darkness yes, but…it changed this time." He looked up in surprise, for nothing had ever changed in her visions of darkness before. "There is hope. We can face this darkness, we just need…we just need the key."

_We must find the key._

_Or nothing at all…_

* * *

She had spoken of a darkness that only existed in legend. She had spoken of the release of this darkness and the horror it would bring. She said she had found the one who would drive back the darkness. Naminé had finally found the key that would save them all. 

It was for that unproven vision that the young seer had deciphered that Riku had come to this place. It was for that vision that Riku was killing for.

It was a stealth mission that he was on. He was to sneak in to the underground passages of the Organization, find the prisoner, and bring them both out to safety. It had sounded simple enough, but entering undetected had been problematic. A momentary mishap and a wrong turn had led to a body crumpled on the stone floor at Riku's feet. Several had fallen to the young man's blade at this point, and many would follow.

For now though he just had to keep moving. It was only a matter of time before someone stumbled upon some poor soul, lying in a pool of blood. Riku had to find the key before it was spirited away by his captors.

The young man scoffed at the thought. If this key was supposed to save the world, why did he need saving from these criminals? True, the organization was rumored to hold and train the greatest of warriors with the fiercest of the unknown magics, but the key was rumored to be capable of destroying as well as saving the world. What could these thugs do to it?

Now, however, was not the time to ponder such thoughts. His grip tightened on his sword as a set of footsteps grabbed his attention. All the man saw was a flash of silver before he collapsed to the floor.

A cocky grin spread across the swordsman's face. He knew he was good, and maybe it was not quite fair to compare this so-called key's skills to his own.

Riku, however, was not one to test his luck with such an important mission. He sped around the corner, moving as silently as he could away from the approaching footsteps. There were several sets, and Riku would not push his luck.

A voice swore aloud, and Riku did not doubt that they had stumbled upon their fallen comrade. "You five, search the halls! You! Go inform Lord Marluxia of this development." Then Riku was out of earshot, but not without a valuable piece of information.

Marluxia – Central Member – Master with Scythe

He recalled the words from the briefing. Not much was known of the central members of the Organization. The details of each central were hidden from even the others, and what little had leaked, only heightened the fears of Riku's people.

He was not a man Riku wanted to meet just yet. As exhilarating as such a battle would be he could not forget that his focus was on the mission. Running in to this Marluxia, who was rumored to be so strong, would only endanger that.

He had to find the key.

The 17-year old stopped just before the next corner, and snuck a peak around. All that stood between him and the door to the holding cells was two guards.

_Good, I'm almost there_. He eyed the doorway at the end of the hall, knowing security would only tighten as he got closer. This was an important prisoner they were holding. It would be a painful blow to the Organization if they somehow managed to lose him. They had probably gone through as much trouble as the King had to identify and locate the boy. Unfortunately, the Organization had moved faster then Riku's King. Now, it was up to Riku to set things right.

Looking closer at the two guards, he saw that they both had sigils inscribed on their hands. They both had some magical abilities then; nothing that they were born with, so not too powerful, but magical abilities nonetheless. Magic users were dangerous, even the lower level ones. They were unpredictable, never knowing when a spell was ready, or if they'd be choosing to use a blade aimed for your gut instead.

Riku could not give them any time. Brushing back a strand of silver hair, he quickly calculated the distance between himself and the guards, then the door beyond that. From here on out, he would be relying on his speed to take out the remaining guards, and get him down to the prison cells with no pursuers, and hopefully no one sounding the alarm. A grin spread on his face as he readied himself, feeling the thrill course through his body. Direct attacks had always been his favorite. They were far more exhilarating than all of this sneaking around business.

Without wasting another moment, Riku darted out and straight forward, running at top speed. Before they knew what hit them, both the spellcasters were on the floor, bleeding from the chest and waist. The door flew open and Riku was through, darting left and right, taking out every person who was unlucky enough to be guarding the cells this day. Riku did not stop to think that these men were only following orders. He did not stop to think that these men had children and families waiting for them back at home. All he knew was that it would either be him or these strangers who stood between him and his goal to fall to the ground. Riku would not allow himself to fall.

Suddenly there were no more guards, and Riku found himself alone with a blood covered sword and a body at his feet. Stepping forward he peered through the barred windows of each empty cell, searching for the one he had been sent to find. Unease started to fill the pit of his stomach as he passed cell by empty cell. Perhaps this was a trap? Perhaps this person never existed? Maybe they had already been killed or moved to another cell? Had he been executed yet? The young man's blood ran cold at the thought of execution. If the prisoner had already been killed then all hope really was lost.

Riku shook his head, banishing those thoughts, focusing instead on the here and now, though he did move his hand closer to the sword at his side. He was not one to be caught unawares.

Finally, Riku came to the last cell, his heart telling him not to get his hopes up, and his mind yelling at him that this better be it, or else there would be a huge problem. The bodies of those in the higher levels had probably been found by now, and reinforcements were, undoubtedly, heading his way. "Hey, is anybody in…" He stopped short, eyes widening in surprise, a memory of something stirring deep within him; something warm, hope filled, but strangely terrifying at the same time. Riku stared in to the small, barred window of the cell door right in to a pair of brilliant blue eyes that stared right back in to his.

* * *

So, that's the first chapter, and already several characters have been introduced. I'm sure you can guess who the "brilliant blue eyes" belong to.

I can't say I'm completely happy with this first chapter. I have almost no experience in writing battle scenes, and there will probably be many more of those ahead of me in this fanfic, so I can only hope I improve on that aspect.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **Falling into Nothing**  
Fandom: **Kingdom Hearts**  
Rating: **PG-13**  
Warnings: **Shounen-ai, no spoilers, and rewritten game concepts**  
**

**Disclaimer: **I claim no ownership over anything that is Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or Final Fantasy. I'm just borrowing them to twist them all around a bit.

And now to reply to my lovely reviewer:

**Anonymous: **Thank you for being my very first review. I'm happy that you like my story, and I'm looking forward to writing the next chapters just as much as you're looking forward to reading them. With that said, I hope you enjoy chapter 2. :D

* * *

Chapter 2 

Riku stared wide-eyed at the eyes who stared right back at him. Taking a quick step back, he regained his composure, forcing the confusion, shock, and recognition from his own gaze. "Ah, I guess you're the one," he finally said, keeping his voice carefully emotionless. This was something he could focus on later. He could not let himself be thrown off track by a pair of startling eyes or the hazy thoughts that those eyes brought him.

"Who're you?" The voice from behind the cell door was hoarse, as if it had not been used in a long time; or from too much screaming.

"Your rescuer," was the reply, a cocky smile back on his face as he moved forward, quickly unlocking and opening the cell door. The face that he met was not smiling back. "Rescuer? But you can't be much older then me, and…" He trailed off, focusing those amazing eyes back on Riku. Riku, once again, could only stare at the boy in front of him.

"Damn it, you can't be the one…" he muttered aloud, looking at the short kid in front of him. The boy only reached Riku's shoulders; his unkempt, spiky brown hair only extended his height a little higher. His brilliant blue eyes were strangely dimmed by his bruised, dirt covered face. A mark was rising up on his right cheek, probably where the boy had been punched by an angry fist at one time or another.

This kid was the one who was supposed to help them? This short, weak looking boy was the one who the organization feared? There must have been some kind of mistake somewhere. Perhaps the Organization had found this kid in the wrong village. Hey, it was an easy mistake to make.

"The one what?" The other growled back, apparently growing more and more frustrated. Riku just shook his head, turning his back on the other boy. "We don't have time for this. We need to get out of here before they send more soldiers down here." Riku pushed back his doubts, remembering just what he had been sent in to do. This had been the only prisoner in the prison block, and Riku would not just leave him at the mercy of the Organization.

"Let's go," was all he said, turning his back on the other and heading down the hall towards the stairs. The prisoner hesitated only a moment before he jogged to catch up with Riku.

Riku paused before the staircase, listening carefully for any sound that could hint at an enemy's approach. He waved the boy forward with one hand, gesturing up the stairs with the other. "We'll probably run in to a lot of resistance once we get past these stairs. Are you any good with a blade?"

"A blade…? N-no, I've never used one, but…I can learn." Riku just shook his head, waving the idea away. "Battle is not the time to learn. Just stick close to me, and run when I tell you to." The boy quickly nodded, blue eyes darting nervously up the stairs. It was safe to assume that the kid had experienced few real battles beyond the schoolyard scrapes that were so common among the boys.

The two moved up the stairs, eager to free themselves from the dark cells. The spiky haired boy had no desire to return to that terrible place, and Riku could not help but admire the look of determination he saw hidden behind the nervousness that was so apparent on his face. Perhaps this kid would be something more than Riku had first thought.

The determination upon Sora's young, dirty face was no trick of the light. The boy had finally found a way out of that cell, and there was no way he would be thrown back in to it. He looked curiously up at the silver haired young man who had saved him, and the boy with the green eyes looked back, their eyes meeting for a brief moment, before he turned his attention back to whatever lay ahead.

Sora had expected to leave the cells behind in the same manner he had arrived in; kicking and screaming, pulling against those who dragged him to the death he knew awaited him. He paused briefly on the steps, turning blue eyes to gaze down in to the darkness at the bottom of the stairs. His lips turned up in to a small smile, relishing in the feel of leaving by his own free will.

He was leaving in a manner so different than in the way he had first arrived.

* * *

The ride upon the Leviathan had been uneventful. From the moment the airship had taken off, things had been peaceful aboard the vessel. Lord Marluxia was relaxing in his personal chamber aboard the ship, while the soldiers goofed off, relieved of their duties for once during the flight.

Only those who were charged with the security of the prisoner were deprived of the peaceful air.

The boy had not stopped yelling at them from the moment he had been brought upon the airship. He had threatened. He had begged. He had bargained. The only ploy he had not tried was tears. Sora refused to be driven to something so desperate. He would not cry free the loss of hope he was already feeling within his heart. He had been strong even when he had been stolen from his home. He had been strong as they dragged him through the forest, where the airship had remained hidden, ready to spirit the boy away with all haste.

That strength, however, was slowly fading beneath the weight of the fate he knew awaited him at their destination. The man who had been sent to retrieve him had spoken so lightly of it; death.

Sora was sentenced to death, and he would not even be told why.

Though he glared with fierce blue eyes, the soldier only smirked back, noticing the slight slump in his shoulders, and the trembling in his hands he was trying so desperately to still. The fire that had inspired the boy's screaming, threats, and insults had just about died.

He sat back comfortably in his chair, a gun and a sword at each hip, enjoying the rare moment of peace he was finally granted with. He just hoped that the boy would not get that fire going again. He did not want to be tempted to use the gun at his waist to simply silence an annoying kid with no future.

It took several hours, but Sora eventually fell in to a restless sleep upon the hard bench that existed within the airborne cell. Even as he drifted in to dark dreams he could not help but feel some small satisfaction at leaving behind an incredibly irritated guard. He had refused to allow himself to stay quiet for too long. If these mysterious people were going to kill him, he would not allow them an easy time of it. It had been the man who had been given the unlucky job of guarding the boy who had been forced to take the vocal punishment.

And so the rest of the trip was passed in peace and quiet. Even the guard who had the terrible job of guarding the prisoner finally got a period of rest, taking advantage of the quiet that was a rare thing around the angry boy.

Sora knew little of what was happening as he was suddenly and violently jerked from his sleep by a pair of rough hands pulling at his arms. He had been shoved on to his belly on top of the bench, his arms forced behind him by whoever was sitting on his legs. His eyes went wide with fear as he felt the rough rope coiling tightly around his hands, holding them tightly together. Panic was building up in his heart as the man finished off the final knot, effectively binding the boy's hands behind his back. He winced as he tested the bonds, feeling the bite of the rope in to his flesh. Were they trying to cut off all circulation of blood to his hands?

Another set of hands pulled him to his feet and practically dragged him from the small cell, not even waiting for the boy to effectively get his feet back under him. The soldier's grip was tight on his arm, yanking him forward as they hurried through the corridors of the airship, and though Sora could feel the dark fear creeping up on his heart, he refused to let it show through. He pulled back against the hand, trying his best to dig his feet in to the floor, causing the man to stumble in front of him, hand still tight around his arm.

"Let me go! There's no way I'm gonna let you drag me wherever!" The guard rounded on Sora, pulling back a fist, ready to send it straight in to the boy's gut. He would have been ready if Sora had tried to run, dodge, or anything of the like, but the prisoner lunged forward instead, mouth wide open, aiming for the arm connected to the hand that continued to detain him. He bit down hard, and the man let out a yell of pain as he loosened his grip on the prisoner, giving Sora the chance he needed. He pulled himself free of the soldier, turned and ran.

Sora had never lifted a weapon in his life, and he was never one who enjoyed fighting. He had one skill, however, that was of the utmost use to him here and now; running. The boy was fast, and the guard had lost sight of him as soon as he looked up from the indent Sora had made on his throbbing arm.

Sora ran through the halls of the airship, not knowing where he was going, just hoping to find some other way out besides wherever the strangers were intent on dragging him. His hands were still bound behind his back, and he wished he had something to cut them free. Unfortunately, finding something and then handling that said something proved to be a problem. The boy instead focused on making his way unseen through the corridors, hoping he would not run in to anybody. He darted around another corner and skidded to a halt, a familiar voice reaching his ears. The door just to the right was slightly open, and that familiar voice was coming from within. Sora immediately backpedaled, realizing just who the voice belonged to. He would not be grabbed once more by the stranger with the pinkish hair, and he was just turning to leave when the voice suddenly rose in carefully controlled annoyance.

"-can't seriously expect to keep him alive? Why don't we just kill him now? Forgive me, Xigbar, but it would be much safer and easier to be rid of the boy now." Marluxia's voice paused here, apparently listening to another that Sora could not hear.

"Fine, I will follow the Superior's will," he said, anger breaking through his careful control now. Sora pressed closer to the wall, ignoring the discomfort in his arms, trying to gather what information he could from Marluxia's conversation with this Xigbar.

"Yes, we have just landed. The boy will be comfortable in his new cell in a matter of hours. I will contact you again as soon as we arrive..." Suddenly an alarm was blaring, and footsteps could be heard pounding through the halls. Sora's eyes widened and he pressed himself closer to the wall, looking around wildly, searching for a way out. He took a step forward, ready to leave this dangerous place behind, but was halted by the voice within the room once more.

"Just a small setback, I assure you, Xigbar. The prisoner has broken free from his…escort. There is nowhere for him to run to. We will find him soon enough. Still, you did not seriously expect this to be _easy_, did you? He is the _key_."

_He is the key._

A strange dizziness seemed to assault Sora's senses at those words. The world turned upside down and he was barely able to register his knees buckling beneath him. He fell to the cold floor of the airship, feeling himself slipping away from the consciousness he tried so desperately to cling to.

_He is the key._

What were those murmurings in his head? Why did everything feel off? Sora shook his head, trying to focus his quickly fading vision. It was fading as quickly as the hope that had sprung up in his heart at his escape.

_You are the key._

"No, no, no…I can't…can't do this now…" His head crashed to the floor, eyes rolling back, and he lay there, free for anyone to find.

_You are the fabled key._

_Fabled key? What's the fabled key? Sora could not clear his thought as he opened his eyes to see a dark landscape stretching out in every direction. He was so cold, and he wrapped his arms tightly around himself; a vain attempt to keep himself warm against the darkness._

"_We will find you…"_

_Who would find him? Why did everyone want to find him? Where was he? How could anyone find him in such a dark place? What could possibly exist here? Those thoughts repeated again and again as he started moving through the darkness. He took slow steps at first, searching for some change in the landscape. Nothing ever changed. Sora was running now, his arms still tight around his body, still freezing to the very bones. Where was the light? Why was there nothing but darkness?_

"_And you will save us."_

_Save us? But who was going to save him from this cold? Who would save him from this dark? He did not want to be trapped here, alone, forever. He tripped on nothing and fell to his knees. The pain was too real in this dark place. _

"_You must save us…"_

_Why must I save you? How can I save you? The words he so wanted to say could not be __forced out though . __ Where was he? Where could he go? _

_Help me…somebody…please…_

"_Or else we will become nothing at all…"_

_Nothing at all…_

_Nothing at…_

_Nothing…_

………

_But wait; was it really nothing that surrounded him? The boy stood up slowly, ignoring the fading pain in his knees. Something was calling to him now. It was different from that disembodied voice that existed everywhere and nowhere. It was different from the darkness that surrounded him and took everything. _

_This was comforting, and it was familiar. _

_He reached a hand forward, heart warming at the light growing in the distance. It was so far away, but it was slowly growing closer. Day by day it grew closer, waiting for the boy to find the strength to harness it. _

_It would come, and then the darkness would be driven away. _

_Nothing would fade, and everything would exist once more. _

_Everything would exist…_

Sora awoke back in to the light filled world hours after the untimely collapse. He could not remember what it was that had caused him to collapse, and the dream itself was a vague memory to him.

The dream, however, was far from his main concern. The boy's arms were still tightly bound behind his back, and he was once more being dragged along, though this time he had a man on each arm, two trailing behind them, and one more in the front. The pink-haired man, Marluxia, was nowhere to be seen.

The walls were different from the ones he had been forced past earlier. The corridors of the airship had been made of metal, but these walls and floors were of a cold, dull stone. Sora gulped, his heart speeding up just a fraction more. Had they arrived already? His suspicions were soon confirmed as the man on his right saw he had awoken.

The guards with him now did not include the man he had bitten hours before.

"Heh, finally woken up, have you?" Sora growled in return, swinging a foot forward to kick the guard hard in the shin. Just as the unfortunate receiver of his attack yelped in pain, the man on his left immediately swung around with a fist, knocking his head to the side as he made harsh contact with his cheek.

"You won't be giving us anymore trouble, kid," he said with confidence, eyes amused by his comrade's obvious discomfort. The other was wincing as he stepped down with his injured leg, though determined to walk it off.

Sora blinked, trying to clear his suddenly blurry vision, biting his lip as he felt the growing aching from his face. The area was tender, and was probably already swelling up.

Every time Sora piped up with another comment he was granted with another punch or a kick to the gut. He was aching all over by the time they reached his new cell, but he did his best to hide the pain. He just had to walk it off.

He just had to keep walking.

He just had to hold on to what little hope he had left.

Men stood on either side of the cell door as it was opened, and Sora was tossed within with little care and more then a little satisfaction from the man he had kicked earlier. He grunted in pain as he landed hard on the cold stone ground, stunned for the moment the soldiers needed to cut his hands free, kick him once more in the side, and then slam the door behind them. The door was soon locked, and Sora was trapped.

He lay on his side for what felt like hours, curled around his aching stomach, trying to somehow will the pain away. Finally he looked up slowly, carefully stretching out his aching limbs, his shoulders screaming their relief at finally being allowed free movement once more.

He saw the rope burns on his wrists and tenderly rubbed at the wounds, trying to ease the discomfort that existed on the raw skin. He looked around his new prison for the first time, taking note of the featureless walls and the drab cot that was the only somewhat interesting feature of the room.

Sora pulled himself to his feet, and immediately made his way to the metal door, with the tiny barred window at the top. He pressed himself up against the door, standing up on his tiptoes to look through the high window. A guard was standing directly across from him. "Hey, you! Come on, why don't you just let me out of here!?"

No reaction.

He hammered on the door for a while, shouted insults at the man, and yet nothing gained even a twitch out of the soldier. Sora finally collapsed to the floor in defeat, realizing that they had found someone who could deal with his shouts and trouble.

Looking around the cold, windowless cell he could not help the fear and hopelessness that crept in to his heart. He was really going to die here, without even a window to gaze out of.

What would his parents think? What about Kairi? Would anyone even know what had happened to him? Would they simply forget about him and go on with their lives? He hated the thought, but he could not help but doubt his parents. Kairi, however, had always been with him. Kairi was different, and Kairi cared. Had she even realized he was missing yet?

Who could find him?

Sora pulled himself to a corner of his last prison, curled himself up in to a ball, and let the despair overwhelm him. Though he did not shed a single tear it was obvious the boy was crying inside.

* * *

When Sora had entered that cell, when he had given up all hope, he had never expected anybody to come for him. Why would anybody come for him? He stayed still on the stairs, unaware that a pair of green eyes had been watching him from the first moment he had lost himself in the bitter memories. 

He started as he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, and turned swiftly, half expecting another guard to haul him back to his doom. Instead, he met the eyes of his rescuer.

"Hey, don't worry. I won't let them take you back. I came to get you out, and believe me; I don't fail anything I set my mind to." Though his attitude was cocky, Sora could not help but trust in the total confidence the stranger had in himself, and the focus he had on freeing Sora from a fate he did not believe he deserved.

"Alright, let's get going then. I don't ever want to go back there." Riku just nodded to the boy, and together they climbed the steps, ready for whatever lay ahead.

Riku had made a promise with those words, and he was not one to break his promises.

* * *

**Author's Note:** And that's it for Chapter 2, and it gives you a pretty good introduction to Sora. I love writing Sora…and I love writing Riku. I can't wait to start writing them together. :D This was basically the Sora intro chapter, while Chapter 1 was the Riku intro chapter, though there is still a ton to be said about both of them. We'll probably have to wait a while for all of that though. 

This chapter really went in a completely different direction then I had planned it to do. The flashback was not in the original plan, and when I decided to add it in, I thought it would only be a few paragraphs. As you can see, it became basically the entire chapter. Thanks to that little…phenomenon, I ended the chapter a lot earlier in the plot then I had been planning.

Well, I'll be heading back to the college dorms in about a week, so the updates will be slowing down at this point.

Thank you for reading this far, and please read and review:D


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Falling into Nothing  
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts  
Rating: PG-13  
Warnings: yaoi, no spoilers, and rewritten game concepts  
Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over anything that is Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or Final Fantasy. I'm just borrowing them to twist them all around a bit.

Author's Note: Well, thank you for sticking with me this far. I've been doing a lot of outlining work on this story, and though there's still a ways for it to go, and a bunch of changes happening every day, I'm really looking forward to moving forward with it.

But don't worry, I'll be getting in to more RikuxSora stuff eventually. I just believe more in gradual relationships then love at first sight. Though I guess the ending of chapter 1 did little to enforce that belief…. ;;

--------------------

Chapter 3

His hands were braced against the door as Riku pressed his ear to the cold surface, trying to catch some sign of the welcoming party he was sure lay just beyond the cells. This door held the only way of escape for the two boys, and Riku doubted it had been left unattended for any lengthy period of time.

The prisoner, meanwhile, was holding in a bated breath, waiting for the terrifying action he knew would be starting soon. His eyes moved nervously to the weapon at his savior's side, noticing the red stain upon the metal. Sora did not have to guess to know just where that stain had come from, and he did not enjoy the thought of witnessing any such bloodshed.

Kill or be killed. That was the rule that Riku lived by, and the rule Sora would have to learn to live with.

Suddenly Riku was pushing the door open, his eyes glued to the slowly growing shaft of light that broke through the doorway. He did not look back as he motioned Sora back with one hand, the bloodstained sword still held in that grip.

Then Riku was through the door, his sword flying before him, and Sora heard a man shout. The boy inched forward, a sick feeling growing in the pit of his stomach as he heard each cry and thud. Bodies were hitting the floor, and there was his green-eyed rescuer, standing triumphant among them.

Sora hesitated, not moving forward as quickly as he should have. His eyes were focused on the men, watching with a dull kind of horror as the last vestiges of life left his fallen kidnappers.

He recognized the one closest to him as the man he had bitten aboard the airship. The mark, though faded, was still visible upon the man's arm.

Pity was swelling up within the boy, but he had no further time to act upon it.

"We have to go! There's no time to think of these things." Riku's hand was upon the boy's arm, urging him to move forward, past the dead bodies, beyond the first killing he had ever witnessed with those innocent eyes.

Sora merely stared at the man at his feet.

"Come _on_!" He tightened his grip on the boy's arm and pulled him forward. Sora gave out a surprised yelp at finding himself moving forward so quickly and so unexpectedly, his feet struggling to catch up with the rest of his body.

He could not help but be grimly reminded of the last time he had been forcefully dragged along by another. This time, however, he was being dragged away from death, and back in to what he hoped would be a complete freedom.

He could only hope.

Riku was pulling him around the fallen men and down the corridor beyond, his grip unrelenting. The young man with the silver hair was _fast_, and Sora did everything he could to try and keep up with him without stumbling over his feet.

He was yanked around another unfamiliar corridor. Sora could do nothing but trust in his mysterious savior, and prey that they did not meet any more resistance. He could still see the slicing blade before his eyes, and not even squeezing the blue orbs shut could destroy the image.

Riku glanced back and only tightened his grip, pulling the boy further even faster, trying to outrace the cruel images that he knew were assaulting the boy's eyes. That race, however, stopped short.

Rose colored strands suddenly assaulted his vision, and Riku was able to reverse his path just in time, falling back, knocking in to Sora, and sending both boys to the ground. It had cost him a bit of dignity, but knowing that the blade had only caught a few strands of falling hair was worth it. .

Sora and Riku both scrambled to their feet, and Riku immediately pushed Sora further behind him, his sword out and ready in one hand.

The man with the pale pink tinted hair stood before them, scythe held confidently in his hand, grinning down at the two.

_Marluxia_, Riku realized, eyeing the sharp curve of the scythe that had almost beheaded him. Sora echoed the name aloud.

"Marluxia." Riku did not chance a look behind him, but he could imagine the glare on the boy's face that went with the vicious tone of voice. Marluxia merely smiled at the pair, giving no warning before his next strike. Riku flipped back, the sharp curve of metal missing him by only inches. He landed crouched, and did not even pause a moment before he moved forward again, dodging around the blade, trying to get within reach of the Organization member.

Sora stood back, eyes struggling to keep up with the fast movements of the two warriors. The battle was so swift and furious; it almost seemed that they were moving faster then Sora's own panicking heartbeat.

Riku leapt back and dodged again, the enemy's blade coming far too close for comfort. The man was good, and it was too difficult to get within his defenses. He caught a glimpse of movement from the corner of his eye, and his eyes narrowed viciously, hiding the worry he was starting to feel.

Pounding boots had heralded the arrival of more of Marluxia's cronies. Most of the men stood with blades of all sort, and all deathly sharp, at the ready, though several stood to the sides, their hands by their sides, merely watching the action.

_Damn it, more mages_. Riku reversed his path, making for the new group that had arrived, aiming to strike down the magic users before they had a chance to interfere with their damaging abilities. Another flash of pink, and Marluxia was once more in front of him. Riku had to give the man credit; he was fast, and the boy found himself fighting hard to stay steady with the scythe master.

Suddenly Riku was not so fast anymore. In fact, he was not moving at all. _What the hell…!?_ He was frozen in place, trapped in a half crouch on the floor, his blade held steadily in front of him. One of the mages was smirking, his hand outstretched, a sigil etched in to the skin of his palm.

Not even a finger was moveable when trapped within the magic of the Stop spell. It was an annoying spell, and a very dangerous one in this situation. Marluxia was drawing nearer, his scythe blade gleaming dangerously, eager to spill some blood.

Riku's attention was then draw to the boy he had tried so hard to rescue, and could not hold back the dismayed outcry at the sight of him in the Organization's hands once again. He was struggling valiantly, but Riku could see that the boy's own strength did little good against the larger man who held him hostage.

"Sorry, but it looks like this is as far as you'll be going, kid." Marluxia's voice would have almost been pleasant if that promise of death had not been hidden beneath the surface.

Riku could not even shift his head under the force of the spell, but even with his limited range of vision he could see three very important things.

First, Marluxia was standing before him, that blade moving ever closer to his unprotected neck.

Second, the mage who had cast the spell upon Riku was sweating heavily now. He was struggling to keep the spell active long enough for Marluxia to finish the job.

The third was the boy's small form, the key held in the hands of the enemy once again. His eyes were wide and fearful even as he pulled against the hands that were set on stealing his freedom.

If Riku could have hung his head he would have. He had made a promise to the boy, but it had not even been ten minutes before that promise would be broken. He had come all this way to find the key, and steal it away from the Organization. That, however, was no longer as important.

Riku had made a promise, and he did not want to break it. He did not want to fail before those eyes who must had once shown such brilliance in laughter and smiles. Even as Riku watched the boy, he could not help but think that he must have once had the most natural of smiles.

Maybe it would have been nice to see that smile.

A smile…

_A child looked up at him, a brilliant smile always adorning his face. "Friends, 'kay?" The boy held up one tiny hand, his pinky outstretched, promising friendship forever. _

Riku snapped his eyes open, not even realizing they had closed, as the shadowy image passed through his mind. It was not something he could remember, but it felt so close to who he was. Did that even make sense?

That blade was growing ever nearer though, and the boy he had promised to save still needed saving.

_Heh, didn't want to do this, but I guess now is as good a time as any_. Riku mentally steeled himself as he felt out with his mind, searching for the magic that was so rightfully _his_. It had been a power that had existed within him for years and years. It had been around for as long as he could remember. It had always been powerful, and it had always been dangerous. How close had he come to losing his very self?

_It'll be worth it though. I have to do…have to do something._

"Well, I guess this is it," Marluxia said as he stopped his blade's forward movement when it was only inches from Riku's neck. "I'll admit, you're not a bad fighter, but you still have a long way to go. Shame you won't have the time to get there."

Riku would have grinned if he could have managed the movement. _Heh, I'll have a lot longer then you do. _

There was a great crack, and then a bolt of lightening ripped through the corridor, hitting any who fell close to its path. Riku felt his eyes widening, immediately discovering his renewed ability to move. The mage who had cast the spell was still on the floor, along with a dozen or so more men.

The young man took not a moment for to leap to the side, landing hard on his side, but just in time to dodge the bolt of lightening that could have allowed him a quick death.

Marluxia, however, had not been as lucky. His back had been to the magical strike, and thus his reflexes had been just a bit slower then Riku's own. The attack grazed his side as he tried to make his own escape.

"Looks like it's your lucky day, kid," the man sneered as he clasped a hand over the smoking wound. It must have been painful, but Marluxia let nothing more then a wince cross his face.

The battle was over and Marluxia was retreating while he still could. It was not a battle he could win in his current condition. He was backing away now, his free hand clutching his side as his scythe suddenly vanished with a wave of his hand. Moments later he was around the corner and out of sight.

Riku did not have time to wonder how he had managed that trick, but instead searched for the source of the magic.

Riku had been only seconds away from releasing his own power, but someone else had beaten him to it.

Sora was crouching on the ground, breathing heavily, with one hand clutching his chest. Riku immediately ran over to him, and knelt by his side, checking the boy over as quickly as he could. He saw no obviously new wounds, though the young man was still breathing heavily even as he struggled to rise, using Riku as support.

"Wow…I…" He paused here, struggling to find his breath once again. "I didn't…know I could do…that…" Riku almost dropped him at those words.

"What!? That was you? That was….seriously powerful magic though!" Even as he helped the other up, he turned around to survey the damage. Most of the men who had come to aid Marluxia were most likely dead after that display of power. The Thundaga spell had been a powerful one, though it was obvious that the caster had little control over the spell.

"I don't know…don't know how, I just knew I didn't …didn't want to go back…" Sora was still struggling to find his words, leaning heavily against Riku, hating how the power he had discovered had sapped him so quickly of so much strength. Even the beatings had not left him this exhausted.

"Well, come on, lets get out of here before they send anyone else after us," Riku said softly, still shocked by the unexpected power he had just seen. Even as he helped the boy navigate to the nearest exit from this place, he could not help but look down at the boy's spiky hair.

The kid, beaten and dirty as he was, did not look like much, but he had unleashed an amazing and dangerous power.

Was this the power of the key? Was that the power that would save them all?

"You'll be a great help to us."

Sora said nothing to that as he focused on putting one foot in front of the other as quickly as he was able. The power scared him, and he was not sure he would be so eager to use it again. He had seen the bodies fall as the electrical power burned through them. It had killed. He had killed. Was that a power he wanted?

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Author's Note: Well, there's the end of chapter 3. Again, I have difficulty writing the combat scenes, but I hope you enjoyed. I hope the story isn't moving too slowly or is too boring for you guys. Next chapter they'll finally be out of this hideout/base kind of place, and back in to the open world.

Please review if you enjoyed. :)


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Falling into Nothing  
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts  
Rating: PG-13  
Warnings: yaoi, no spoilers, and rewritten game concepts  
Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over anything that is Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or Final Fantasy. I'm just borrowing them to twist them all around a bit.

Author's Note: Welcome to chapter 4. I'm very happy that you're choosing to stick with me this far. :) Just a quick note though. When I started writing this fic I was still very unsure on the amount of technology that would be around in the world, so, I decided to go with whatever felt right to me in a given situation. So, it'll be a mixed world, with nothing too advanced, but they won't be riding horse and wagons either. The world will probably make no sense under a technological advancement standpoint, but that's ok, cause it's all coming from my head anyway. :D

And now to thank the reviewers:

Pichu10176: I'm glad you're satisfied with their personalities. I'm hoping I won't get them too off, though I'm sure it will happen at some point. And Sora definitely has some spellpower, and Riku has his own thing going on. I won't be able to get in to that until a bit later though.

Baronfly: Aaw, thanks for the compliment. I'm happy to know that my battle scenes aren't a total failure. And I do love writing Riku and Sora's interactions. They're so cute together, aren't they?

And now on with the story!

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Chapter 4

Sora had lost all track of time as they dashed across the street, down a side alley, away from the eyes of any curious enough to glance out their window at this time of night. They wanted to put as much distance between themselves and the Organization that they had left behind.

Even if Sora had annihilated all those who had attacked, save Marluxia, Riku did not doubt that several more members were already seeking them out. The Organization was not a group to give up so easily. He could only hope that Marluxia would hold them back, playing with caution after Sora's painful demonstration of power.

Riku had somehow found his hand wrapped around the boy's wrist once more, leading him along at a pace he was obviously having trouble keeping up with. "Don't worry, we'll be able to rest soon," he said brokenly between harsh gasps of breath. Riku was tiring now as well.

Finally the two came to a stop, and Sora sank to the wet grass beneath him, trying to catch his lost breath.

His breathing gradually slowed to a normal rate, and his eyes took in the wet landscape and their drenched forms. It had apparently been raining when they had broken free from his prison. Sora raised his eyes to the sky, staring right up through the harshly falling rain.

He was soaking wet and a chill was already starting to set in, but none of that mattered, because this was freedom.

It was a freedom that he had lost all hope of ever having. He had expected to die in that place, never allowed to feel the cool night air again.

He fell backwards in the slick grass, spreading his arms wide as he lay on his back, a grin spreading across his bruised face. He laughed, and laughed.

Even though he was hurting all over, even though he had killed, the thought of freedom drove away all of his worries, if even for a small moment.

The joyful sound caused Riku to stiffen up, looking down in alarm, his first worry being that of their possible discovery. Still, even his stiff mood was laid back a bit by the infectious laughter. Riku did not join in, but an amused smile did cross his face as he knelt down beside the boy.

"Quiet down. They could easily be nearby. We're not out of this just yet." The words were serious, but they somehow were not as scary as they should have been. It was almost comforting to see that grin on the other's face.

Still, Sora immediately calmed down, realizing the danger that still waited out in the dark. As much as he would just love to lay back, laugh, and watch the stranger smile, he refused to be caught again.

He pulled himself up to a sitting position, meeting Riku's sharp green eyes. The other boy's face was a mask again; all business and no fun. He was looking around warily, his silver hair plastered to his head, droplets falling from the ends of the strands to mix with the water already running down his clothes.

Sora's own spikes were drooping beneath the weight of the water, and he wrapped his arms around his body, attempting to ward off the growing chill in his body.

Riku was shivering as well now. The dreary weather was beginning to take its toll on the two boys, and Riku was not sure what to do. Though Riku did not want to admit it, he never had a sure fire plan beyond the rescue step.

Well, it would do the boys no good to stay out in the rain too much longer. He could already see the growing discomfort in the smaller one's eyes, and though he was better at hiding it, the chilling rain was starting to get to the older of the two as well. Riku brushed back his wet hair, clearing it from his vision, before holding a hand out to the boy.

"What now?" Sora asked, taking the offered hand. The night was dark, and there seemed to be no light shining upon the damp grass, or anywhere nearby for that matter. Nothing looked familiar to the boy, and he only remembered then just how far from home he was. An airship was not required to pull him to the neighboring town.

"Where are we anyway?"

"Somewhere in Bevelle," was Riku's answer, shrugging his shoulders lightly. "This is one of the parks, though we're still far too close to the Organization for my liking."

"Bevelle!?" Sora practically screeched, his eyes wide. He was not even in the same country anymore. "But…but this is… Isn't Bevelle in Spira? That's….so far…" Riku did not look at the other boy, as the smaller one trailed off.

He hoped that the kid was not starting to feel homesick. Riku's plan of action, though not detailed out too well, did not include a trip back to the boy's town. Sora was to meet the leader of the resistance and a new plan would be drawn up from there.

This short kid was the key after all. He was the one who would save their world from everything.

They could not _afford_ to bring him home at this point.

"Come on, lets get moving," the older one said, marching forward through the park, pretending he had a purpose in his steps. Sora just followed behind, mulling over the problems, both new and old, that had risen up even as the laughter faded away.

"We'll have to find someplace to…" Riku stopped mid-sentence, almost causing the smaller of the two to walk straight in to his back.

Riku's hand was already at his sword, and Sora tried to look over the other's shoulder to see what had caused him to come to such a sudden halt.

A small light was moving in the distance, bobbing up and down ever so slightly as it slowly moved in the direction of the two boys. The two boys watched it, almost mesmerized as the light became brighter, illuminating a petite figure behind it. An umbrella rested on the stranger's shoulder, keeping her dry in the rain storm that had already chilled the two boys to the bone.

A young woman blinked at them, surprise quickly becoming evident on her face as she raised the light up so that the two boys were no longer masked by the dark. Sora turned his head away from the brightness, while Riku merely glared in to it.

"I didn't think anyone else would be out in this," she said kindly, beckoning them forward with the hand that held the lantern, the light moving wildly in the process. "Come, you should not be standing out in such weather. It won't do much for your health."

Riku did not move right away, and only raised a hand slightly as the ex-prisoner made to move forward, stopping the boy in his tracks.

The woman only looked between the two, waiting for them to come to a decision. That gentle smile never left her face.

"What's wrong?" Sora asked in a soft voice, not wanting to offend the woman who was offering them aid.

Riku looked at the woman uneasily, not sure what to think. They had a dangerous group after them, and nowhere else to go at the moment. He studied her with piercing green eyes, his gaze moving from her soft, shoulder-length brown hair down to the blue skirt she was wearing that just reached her ankles. Her light revealed the decent layer of mud caking her boots. She had obviously been out in the rainstorm for a while.

"This could be a trap," he whispered back to the other. The young woman just stood there patiently, though her eyes had shifted to the side, scanning the darkness beyond the light cast by the lantern.

"I don't think it is…Why don't we go? We can trust her, I'm sure of it." Sora was so confident in his words. The boy had always been good at reading others, and this woman did not seem to be an enemy of his. He felt he could trust her and her gentle, but strangely sad eyes.

"Come on, you know it just as well as I do. We can't just stay out here. Besides, I'm tired, and I'm sure you're tired too."

Riku could not argue with that, though he certainly would have liked to. He stayed quiet, pondering their options. Their health, however, was important. Riku had to be ready for whatever attack came their way, and a good long rest out of the rain was just what the two needed.

"Fine, we'll go," he said gruffly, his voice meant to be a warning to the woman. It was a warning against trickery and betrayal.

The young woman looked back at them, nodding her head in understanding. "Come now, it's not too far," she said with that gentle voice, turning to lead them to wherever she was taking them.

They walked between the trees, deeper in to the park, following the dirt path that wound its way through the sometimes dense and sometimes thin foliage. Walking on the path made Riku nervous, and his hand never once left his sword just as one eye was always on the boy he was supposed to protect.

Sora walked in front of the other, only a couple of steps behind the young woman who was offering them shelter of some sort. His shoulders were sagging, his once spiky hair hanging down in his face thanks to the heavy rain. He was dragging his feet, and one hand was constantly on the other wrist, absentmindedly rubbing at the sore skin.

'Not far' to the young lady with the umbrella translated to an almost twenty minute walk out to the very edge of the park to a small home hidden amongst the trees. The place was hard to see in the dark, and Riku expected it would be just as difficult to find in the daylight.

The woman opened up a gate and beckoned them through, before leading them up to the front door of the small home. Ivy, slick with the rain, crept up the side of the house, giving the structure a homier feel even from the outside.

"This is my home," she said softly as she unlocked the door, and then stood to the side, allowing them to enter first.

Sora entered with an eagerness that Riku was lacking. The younger of the two immediately took in the cozy interior and flopped himself down on the couch, eager to get off his legs that were sore from running.

Riku, however, was more reserved. He stood in a corner of the room, waiting for their guide to cast more light upon the interior. He also was curious to know just who she was.

"What were you doing out in that rainstorm?" he asked, his green eyes following her every movement as she made her way around the small living room to turn on a lamp in the corner.

The young woman smiled again, turning away from the light and making her way to the couch to sit beside Sora. His blue eyes caught something very sad in her smile, though she worked hard to hide it.

"Well, why don't we start with introductions first," she said kindly, looking between the two. "My name is Yuna Braska, and this is my home."

"I'm Sora Takeda," the smaller boy said with a smile, before turning his direction to the one who had saved him from the prison. There had been no time in their escape to properly introduce each other. He had no idea who the young man with the silver hair was. All he knew was that he owed him his life.

"Riku," the last one said simply, offering no last name to go with the first. Riku had no last name, and he was perfectly fine with that.

The two boys looked at each other, something seemingly changed now that they both finally knew just who they had been running alongside, or dragged behind in Sora's case.

"Well, now we know who we all are," Riku said, looking back at Yuna and her gentle smile. His eyes flickered to a small face clock set on a corner table. It was 3 in the morning, and that did not ease his suspicions any. "So, what were you doing out there?"

"I was…looking for someone," she said, her smile fading slightly. "A friend of mine went out, and I'm afraid he may get himself in to some trouble. He doesn't always think things through, and…I was just hoping to find him before something bad happened, but…well, I found you two instead, so I can't say the hours were wasted." That smile was back on her face, but both boys recognized the worry that was plain in her mismatched eyes.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be back," Sora said with a grin, hoping to make Yuna feel just a bit better. Unfortunately, there was nothing more that could be done with the situation being what it was.

If Sora had been at his normal strength, with adequate rest, clean, and without a shady group after his blood he would have run right out that door, in to the rain, to help the woman with her problem.

Riku and Sora, however, had their own problems to worry about, and it would be best not to get Yuna any more involved than she already was. Just giving them shelter could make her a target of the Organization. Riku wanted to have himself and Sora back on the road, and as far away as possible from Bevelle as soon as they could manage it.

"I can make up some beds for you both in the spare bedroom," Yuna said, already pulling out blankets from a nearby closet.

------------------------------

Riku tossed Sora a towel to help dry his spiky hair after the boy's bath. He was already dressed in a shirt and pants that were just a bit too big for him. He had to roll each pant leg up several times before he was able to successfully walk without tripping over the hem of the pajama bottoms.

Yuna's friend, or boyfriend as they both suspected, was just about Riku's size, so while Riku fit comfortably in the clothing, everything on Sora was just a little too big and too long.

He was not one to complain even as he flopped around in the clothing. He just dealt with it as he threw amused looks at the sleeves that drowned his hands while ignoring the amused smirks that Riku had directed at him.

Yuna had shown them to the bathroom, where they each took turns scrubbing themselves clean. Sora had taken the longer bath of the two, trying to get rid of days of dirt and grime that covered his skin. He even found dried blood from where they had broken the skin a few times. It had been so hard to tell when everything had been mixed with dirt, mud, and rain.

Finally they were sitting across from each other on the floor of the spare bedroom, just waiting for their hair to finish drying. Sora had the towel hanging precariously over his head, while Riku just sat there, watching the other boy.

The brown haired kid had dragged the sheets off the bed, and promptly set himself up a nest of sheets on the floor. Once he was happy with the arrangement, he had thrown himself in to them, and sat quite happily in the center. That was when Riku had tossed him the towel and sat down to watch the boy.

Now that he was clean Riku saw that the boy, naturally, looked much more like what he had expected a young kid to look like. He no longer seemed as cheerful as he had when they had met Yuna, but that grim fear was no longer evident on his face. His skin was clean and clear, and his hair was a chestnut shade of brown, lazily spiked out in every direction. Riku found it hard to believe that such a style was natural.

The thing that hit Riku the most about his now clean companion though was his eyes. He had noticed those brilliant blue eyes upon their first meeting with a cell door between them. Now, though, the eyes were no longer dimmed by dirt, grime, and fear. Riku found himself wishing the boy would look his way so they could lock eyes; green and blue.

Sora slowly raised his hands to the towel on his head, and gently started rubbing his hair, obviously going through great lengths to try and effectively dry his hair without causing too much pain in his bruised wrists. He could not hide a wince that crossed his face.

Riku climbed to his feet and quickly crossed the room, and knelt down in front of Sora once more.

"Let me see your hands."

Sora obediently held them out, wincing only slightly as Riku poked and prodded at the ring-shaped bruise that adorned both his left and right wrist. He looked up at the older boy from beneath the towel and their eyes locked. He was surprised by the apology he saw in the other's eyes as his wrists were turned over.

Riku hesitated only a moment as he opened his mouth. "I'm sorry."

Sora continued to look at him, his expression quizzical now. Sorry? Why was he sorry? What could he possibly be sorry for?

"I hadn't meant to hurt you."

Sora wanted to laugh at the words. They made no sense to him. "Hurt? You weren't the one who did this though."

Riku wrapped his fingers lightly around one of the bruised wrists, giving the other a wry smile. "Maybe so, but I do have a strong grip. I guess I've been dragging you around all night."

The other just shrugged, staring at the hand that was touching his own. "Well, it's no big deal. It'll get better."

With a sigh Riku released Sora's hands and stood up, immediately heading towards the door. "I'm gonna see if Yuna has anything to help those bruises heal faster."

Blue eyes were fixed on Riku's back as he stepped out of the room. His wrists still ached with the bruised skin, but even with that discomfort, Sora could still feel Riku's gentle touch. It was kind of nice, and kind of familiar. A part of him wondered why, and a part of him hoped it would happen again.

------------------------------

Author's Note: Well, I ended that a bit earlier then I had planned to, but I think this was as a good an ending point as any. Though this was not as action filled as the last chapters, I did enjoy writing this one.

Well, I hope you enjoyed. Please leave a review.


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